Existing solar panel systems based on photovoltaic technology are subject to degradation in performance over the course of time. This degradation means that the efficiency and thus the energy yields of the solar panel systems decrease over time. There can be a variety of reasons for the degradation of solar panels such as physical damage, hot spots, snail trails, mismatches, delamination, back currents, potential induced degradation (PID) and other defects that accelerate the degradation of solar panels. Such defects occur in at least 75% of the solar panel systems and are therefore widespread.
There are methods for regenerating and/or preventing such defects in solar panels, which are caused or worsened by potential differences. These methods involve using a voltage source to build up a potential difference or voltage between each solar panel or photovoltaic cell of the solar panel system and the supporting structure wherein the solar panel is assembled. This may involve connecting the first terminal of the voltage source to the negative terminal, the positive terminal or both terminals of the solar panel. The supporting structure can then be connected to the second terminal of the voltage source, or the supporting structure may be earthed, thereby making the electrical potential of the supporting structure equal to the ground potential. A method such as this is described inter alia in BE1020776A5.
The invention described in BE1020776A5 works correctly, but experience has shown that the method for regenerating and/or preventing defects in solar panels sometimes has to be applied for a long time.